The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

Ring~~Ring~~

"A call? Who is it?"

I heard my phone ringing when I logged out from---argh...my headache is back again.

When I checked my phone, I had 15 missed calls.

"It's Aunt Lirole"

I answered the call.

[Hello Das?]

"Hey Aunt Lirole"

[How are you?]

"I am doing fine"

[I see. I called you for Lier]

"Something happened to her?! Is she okay?"

[Yes, she is okay, but she is crying for some hours, and she locked herself in her room]

"...."

[Do you know anything about this? She has been talking about you for a couple of weeks, but now when we mention your name she...]

"I...I will talk to her. Don't worry, Aunt."

[Yes, please do]

"Yeah, take care."

Should I go to her house and meet her?

It's noon anyway. I can ask Elena and--

Ring~~ Ring~~

"It's...Lier"

I answered the call.

"Hey Lier, I want to--"

She hung up?!

Why did she call me then?

I called her, but this time it was a video call.

She didn't answer. I tried again and again. She answered the call on the 7th try.

"Lier?"

She was hiding her face behind the pillow.

[What do you want?]

"Are you okay?"

[I am fine]

Don't lie!

Her voice is hoarse...

"Can you show me your face?"

[I am not as pretty as your girlfriend]

"Lier"

[Fine. Wait for a while]

She turned the camera to the side. After a while, she turned it back.

She is not making eye contact with me.

Her face and her eyes were red.

"Were you crying?"

[I wasn't]

"Your mom said you were crying"

[I was crying]

"Why were you crying?"

[I am sorry]

"Why are you apologizing?"

[I hit you]

"It was in the game. No need to worry about that."

[Still! I...hit you]

"Lier, do you hate me?"

[I don't!]

"Do you love me?"

[I do]

"Lier, I have something to tell you."

[What?]

"I can tell you here, but I won't."

[What is it?]

"I want to say that to you in person, please wait for a while"

[Are you going to reject me?]

"I won't."

[Are you going to break up with your girlfriend?]

"I am not."

[Are you going to accept my love?]

"I...will"

Dammit!

Didn't I just confess now?

I wanted to do it properly by asking Elena.

[Okay. I will wait for you]

"Thanks"

Wait, today's date is...!!

"Hey, Lier. Happy birthday!"

[I thought you forgot about it]

"Of course I didn't."

That was close. I barely remembered it.

[I am officially 18 today]

"Yeah"

[Now just one more year and I can marry you]

"...."

She want to marry me as soon as she turns 18?

[Hey, Das]

"Hmm?"

[Do you hate me?]

"Why do you think that?"

[Ever since we were kids, I used to stay close to you. Now that I remember it, I was annoying, right?]

"I never thought something like that about you."

[Do you remember the day I was kidnapped?]

Huh? The day she was kidnapped...

[You there in the palace when I was being kidnapped]

I was...there?

[I was calling for help, but you just continued watching me being kidnapped]

What...is she talking...about?

When she was...I was...there...

[You didn't try to stop them. I kept thinking that you hate me but then...ou..id..fo..hel..]

I was there?! I was there when she was being kidnapped?

I was just watching when she was being kidnapped?

What was wrong with me? I want to kill my past self.

I want to--

[Das? Are you listening?]

"Yeah"

[Thanks]

Thanks...for what?

"Why are...you..."

[What?]

"It's nothing."

[Okay! Bye! I will wait for you!]

"Bye"

She hung up the call.

Was I really that much of a scum?

She...my cousin was being kidnapped, and I was just watching it?!

Why don't I remember it?

It's true that you don't remember the time when you were kids, but...how could I not remember it?

"Das!"

"Mom! When did you get in here?"

"I have been calling you for a while, but you weren't responding."

"Sorry"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine...what's with the noise downstairs?"

"The palace has been renovated, so we are moving some stuff there."

"I see."

"Let's go downstairs."

"Hmm"

We went downstairs. There were 12 men moving stuff in the trucks.

Did they really bring this much stuff from the palace?

"Hey! Wait! Didn't I tell you not to touch this box?"

Two men were carrying a big black box...that box. There are royal swords in that box!

"The king has ordered us to bring the swords too," one of the men said.

"Is that so? Father didn't tell me about--wait! How do you know that there are swords in the box?"

"You mentioned it earlier."

"Oh, did I? I see. You can take the swords."

"Wait!"

"What's wrong Das?"

No matter how you look at it, something is fishy here.

"The king told you to bring the swords?" I asked.

"Yes"

That's a lie!

I know how my grandpa is. He trusts no one other than his family.

There is no way he would ask them to bring the royal swords.

"No need to take the sword with you."

"Pardon?"

"I said, keep the box down and get out of here!"

"But we were told to bring the swords--"

"No need for that!"

"It's the king's order."

"I don't care. Keep the box down and get out of here."

"Das? What are you saying! You can't go against your grandfather."

"I know mom, but...hey, I will call grandpa and ask him. Stay right there."

"No!"

"No?"

"We might have misheard that. We will keep the box down."

They both stared at each other for a while and put the box down.

I knew it!

Something was fishy here.

"What was that about?"

"You shouldn't trust anyone, mom."

She pinched my cheeks and said, "You sound like my old man."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"Go wash your hands. Lunch is ready."

Hours passed by. After eating dinner, I went back to my room. Research about programming. As always, that light orb is here too.

My head hurts.

"Well, I haven't slept this week, so it's normal, I guess."

It's 4; 23 AM.

I want to sleep, but I don't feel sleepy.

I will take a bath and get ready for school. If mom catches me using my laptop again, she will throw it away.

I grabbed my towel and went downstairs. As I headed towards the bathroom, I noticed that the sword's box was still in the living room.

I opened the box. It was dark in the room, but the diamond sword shined brightly, illuminating the room when I opened the box.

"As expected of a diamond sword."

I grabbed the sword in my hand.

"It's heavier than I imagined."

It's a real sword. Of course, it would be heavy, unlike LWO.

I tried to swing the sword, but I couldn't.

"Mom was swinging it flawlessly that day."

I tried swinging it again.

"I will try swinging like it like mom did that day."

I swung the sword with no problem this time.

As I was swinging, it reminded me of the throne room.

Many things happened today, but well, everything ended.

I will be king in 2 months. I wonder if my life will change. There is also a throne in the palace; I would like to sit there--huh? What was that?

I just saw a vision. I was standing in the throne room. It wasn't the throne room of LWO or the palace.

It was different.

There were dead bodies on the floor, which was painted red by their blood. I was standing between the dead bodies, and a girl was standing in front of me, with a sword in her hand and hatred in her eyes. She was staring at me with her teary eyes. That girl was no other than the girl I love the most--

Drip~~ Drip~~

I was still swinging the sword, and I just...cut myself?

I don't feel any pain, but I have cut myself. My clothes are dyed red by my blood.

I used a towel so that my blood wouldn't drip on the floor.

I cut my face. Mom will get angry and worried...

I rushed to the bathroom, pressing the wound with the towel.

What should I do? I cut my face...is the cut deep? What if it leaves a scar...it will leave a scar!.

I slowly removed the towel, expecting to see a cut on my face, but...

"There is no cut on my face."

What's going on? I am sure I cut my face but...was it my imagination...no! Look at this blood.

Why is there no cut on my face?

There is no way it would heal this fast and...even...if it did, then there would be a scar left. There is a huge scar on my back too!

I removed my t-shirt to check the scar on my back, but...

"Why?! How?!"

There is no scar on my back. I am sure there was a scar...it's been there for over ten years.

"What's going on?"

How is that possible?!

.

.

.

.

.

Das passed out and fell on the floor.

His hair color slowly changed from black to white.

The light orb came and flew around unconscious Das.

His hair color slowly turned back to normal, and the orb disappeared.